Bloody Crayfish!!!

B

barbelhunter

New member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hi All, my first post!

Just getting back into fishing after approx 11year break and Fishing the same river as before for Barbel.

Now i know things change over time! But where have all the crayfish come from? I didn't even know what one was back then, let alone seen one.

Becoming a real problem with baits and have had move to fishing pellets as this is the only bait that doesn't get demolished within seconds of it entering the water. Bit gutted I can't use all the old baits like cheese, bacon grill and all the other softish baits.

Do any of you guys and girls know of any baits that catch barbel but don't attrach crayfish?

I'm still putting down a carpet of hemp. Would this be bringing the crayfish in?

Do crayfish eat hemp? Have tried Google but can't find any answers to the hemp/crayfish question. I've to a few other anglers and some say they don't eat it and some say they doeat it?

I do have a few other questions but won't bore everyone with loads of them just yet.

Many thanks
Steve:p
 
C

cg74

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
3,165
Reaction score
8
Location
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Hi Steve, the crayfish you're being plagued by must be Signal Crayfish, a native of western USA, brought of here for the food industry.
Then over time many escaped/released into our river system, worst effected are the Thames plus tributaries and the Great Ouse.

TBH there is no real upside to these invaisive critters, except from chub and perch are getting very fat on them.
Oh and I spose some reckon they're tasty cooked with garlic.

Signal crayfish are omnivorous and eat EVERYTHING, some say they don't bother with tiger nuts but even they get some attention.
I've never heard of hemp being a crayfish non-attractor to them, in fact every carpet of bait will bring them in BUT I do strongly believe that the fish sense the vibrations in the water made by crays chomping your bait.

Personally I only use soft baits like meat, cheese paste on its own and not in conjunction with a bed of loose feed, mainly I prefer using them in flood water.

Apart from pellets other options for hook baits are boilies, to harden them like granite store them in with oily pellets for about a week (2 weeks and you'll need to drill them).
With boilies and pellets apart from the advantage of being hard and durable, they can offer the advantage of no big bed of feed for the crays to home in on, 6 - 10 boilies or pellets, same size as the hook bait every hour(ish) to keep any fish interested, will see you alright on most rivers.
 
Q

quickcedo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
1,459
Reaction score
5
Location
Enslow Oxon
Crayfish require you to change your attitude somewhat. Yes they are a pain but they are here to stay so, you need to get used to them. Most people go for rock hard baits which of course deters them for a while. Personally, I have come to terms with them and learned they are quite a good barometer to what's around. When larger fish move into a swim (Chub, Barbel and Perch) The Cray taps and rattles stop. (they do a runner)
So I still fish with soft baits and put up with them.
 
A

alan whittington

Guest
Ah but Mark,do you maintain a low feed stategy,or up it a bit until the 'crays' back off when the fish arrive?There are so many variants to try and maybe the answer is to give as many different options a go,because your venue maybe different barbelhunter.
 
K

kamen

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
51
Reaction score
0
Location
Peterborough
MarkTodd said:
When larger fish move into a swim (Chub, Barbel and Perch) The Cray taps and rattles stop. (they do a runner).
Click to expand...

This is just a thought, but if they move out when the big fish move in, do they move from being in fear of being eaten? If so, what about catching a few Crays, despatching them, and using the meat as bait for the bigger fish?

As I said, just a thought. It's just a local lake I fish has a cray fish problem, and the owner has said despatch them and throw them back in for the carp to mop up.
 
A

alan whittington

Guest
The hell with him Kamen,the little beggars might be carrying viable eggs,let the magpies eat em,they love em.
 
Q

quickcedo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
1,459
Reaction score
5
Location
Enslow Oxon
As far as I am aware it is illegal to use signal crays for bait. The eggs remain viable long after death so be aware you may be spreading them without realising.
As for baiting, some say to put plenty in with the thought that they can't be on all the bait all the time (don't you believe it!) Others say don't bait at all or very little (my own way).
I have seen Crays rising in the water to bait presented on a stick float! There is no way round the problem (that I am aware of)
as for using the Crayfish as bait should you chose to break the law. Crayfish love nothing better than Crayfish!!
Sorry people but it's all doom and gloom if you want to cast a bait and read a book.
 
richiekelly

richiekelly

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
2,706
Reaction score
1
Location
warwickshire
MarkTodd said:
As far as I am aware it is illegal to use signal crays for bait. The eggs remain viable long after death so be aware you may be spreading them without realising.
As for baiting, some say to put plenty in with the thought that they can't be on all the bait all the time (don't you believe it!) Others say don't bait at all or very little (my own way).
I have seen Crays rising in the water to bait presented on a stick float! There is no way round the problem (that I am aware of)
as for using the Crayfish as bait should you chose to break the law. Crayfish love nothing better than Crayfish!!
Sorry people but it's all doom and gloom if you want to cast a bait and read a book.
Click to expand...

as you say mark it is illegal to use them as bait but it is also illegal to catch them without a licence problem is that if you do catch one by accident it is also illegal to return it to the water so whichever way you choose to follow its all illegal,best thing is to despatch the b******s and dont put the remains back
 
A

alan whittington

Guest
It is illegal to use crays as bait,but so is using a mobile when driving and how many people do you see doing that,also there is far less chance being caught using crayfish,especially if you make a boilie out of them(i doubt if the eggs would survive 90 seconds in the saucepan,could the EA recognise them from the boilie i doubt it.
 
K

kamen

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
51
Reaction score
0
Location
Peterborough
the blanker said:
as you say mark it is illegal to use them as bait but it is also illegal to catch them without a licence problem is that if you do catch one by accident it is also illegal to return it to the water so whichever way you choose to follow its all illegal,best thing is to despatch the b******s and dont put the remains back
Click to expand...

Does this refer to the American Signal Crayfish also? I know about the White Claw, but didn't think it applied to the "alien" species. If this is so, then thanks, as I never knew this.
 
A

alan whittington

Guest
Oh by the way Kamen,these regs are because of the signal crayfish(you probably gathered that,but just in case).
 
jcp01

jcp01

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2009
Messages
322
Reaction score
2
Location
Coventry
MarkTodd said:
I have seen Crays rising in the water to bait presented on a stick float!
Click to expand...

All too true, unfortunately. I have caught crays a foot or more off bottom trotting maggots through fairly pacey swims on the lower Blythe, near Birmingham. I thought they'd stay on the deck but they come up in the water and intercept the loose feed and of course, the hookbait.

It's also true that once the big fish are about they run and hide, so when you are plagued by the slow pulls and knocks that are your typical crayfish bite and then they stop, you have something worth fishing for out front.

Sea anglers are well used to all this palaver, when you have crabs about they rob the hook in no time but when the bass or cod move in they bury themselves deep in the sea bed in the bat of an eye.
 
S

Stuthebroo

Active member
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Location
Hartlepool
alan whittington said:
It is illegal to use crays as bait,but so is using a mobile when driving and how many people do you see doing that,also there is far less chance being caught using crayfish,especially if you make a boilie out of them(i doubt if the eggs would survive 90 seconds in the saucepan,could the EA recognise them from the boilie i doubt it.
Click to expand...

I'm not totally sure but doesn't Pallatrax Whisker contain crayfish? I bought some a few years ago and thought I saw it mentioned as one of the key ingredients.
 
A

alan whittington

Guest
It might do Stuthebroo(hell mate thats a hell of a 'handle',i had a job remembering it),maybe its derived from meal of crayfish,i dont know,but your definitely not supposed to use crays as bait.
 
Q

quickcedo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
1,459
Reaction score
5
Location
Enslow Oxon
One other point worth a mention is those pulls you see and feel are the crays trying to drag your bait into a safe place to eat it. So if you are fishing near a bank, they will pull your bait into a hole and you WILL loose your rig. They will also happily eat your bait under big stones and tree roots. In fact anywhere they feel safe.
This is part of the reason why I continue to use soft baits (they come off before the crays can get the rig into the snag) Another way to prevent this is to use a very heavy semi-fixed lead of course (not for me!!)
I believe there is far less disturbance to my swim re casting a light lead than either pulling for a break or using 4oz of lead. Just my opinion of course.
 
B

barbelhunter

New member
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hi Guys. Many thanks for all your replys, a lot of food for thought. Been thinking of making up some boile sized hemp balls with arma mesh (might have the name a bit wrong) Has anyone tried it with any success? Be interesting to find out if the arma mesh is cray fish proof or not?

Many thanks
Steve:p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top